Do Retail Gun Restrictions Pose Significant Brand Risks?

In the wake of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting that claimed 17 lives, retailers such as DICK’S Sporting Goods, Walmart, Fred Meyer, L.L.Bean, REI and Mountain Equipment Co-Op have all taken actions to restrict firearm sales — by stopping sales of assault rifles and/or raising the age for gun purchases to 21.

But any time retailers express opinions on a political or social issue — particularly one as red-hot as gun rights — they always risk some kind of blowback, even if it’s only from a small percentage of customers.